Writers in London in the 1890s: The Ten Best Restaurants in London A blog dedicated to the research tangents of one writer, while writing about writers in London in the 1890s. Find fun and curious tidbits about Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, and many others! Sunday, September 15, 2013 The Ten Best Restaurants in London While feeling extremely distractible and editing a scene in which my characters are out for an evening in London, I came across this wonderful blog . It quotes at length from one of my favorite recent books on Constance Wilde on the subject of Dorothy Restaurant, which was a haven for the "New Woman" in 1890s London. This got me thinking of restaurant culture in 1890s London. I'm also in the middle of writing/editing a passage in which my characters are out for a night on the town in 1890. With this helpful guide, the internet and my knowledge of the time and place, I present my favourite restaurants in 1890s London. 10. Benekey's Meeting a friend to discuss some ideas? Look how private the booths are in Benekey's.

Public houses or pubs were not usually recommended for their food or drink, but Benekey's served one of the finest glasses of wine in London. Karl Baedeker, the author of London and Its Environs: Handbook for Travellers , recommends it, if for that reason alone. Otherwise, there seems to be no trace of the place. Probably because it wasn't a place to be seen, but rather to hide away with a friend and talk, talk, talk... that is what good wine is for, isn't it? Benekey's isn't around anymore, but its booths are still there and its address currently houses to a new pub, called the Cittie of Yorke. Of the current establishment, one reviewer wrote : The copper sign swinging over pedestrians on High Holborn speaks of ‘beer brewed at Yorkshire’s oldest brewery’; the sign just out from a mock-Tudor façade above reads ‘established on the site of a public house in 1430’. So far, so faux, but the interior is authentically dingy, wobbly and warren-like, the kind of place in which to film a period drama.

The main room is lined with conspiratorial dark wood alcoves, with old barrels over the long bar and framed portraits from Vanity Fair c.1870. Though I don't think that review was intentionally positive, it makes me really want to go there! According to Baedeker: "In the season" during the 1890s, it was "sometimes necessary to engage a table beforehand," but that went for most of these places! 9. Claridge's This place went through a lot of changes in the 1890s, but that was due to the ambition of its owners and its popularity and success. It was purchased by the Savoy Group in 1894, had some of the same management as the Savoy Hotel . In the 1890s, one might enjoy an orchestra, during afternoon tea in the central court from 4-6pm and from 7-9:30 in the restaurant. Like the Savoy Hotel, it had open terraces with a view of the river.

As a hotel, it has 203 rooms and suites and went on from the 1890s to have an exciting, especially in WWII when it became the birthplace of Yugoslavian Crown Prince Alexander (1945). Unlike Benekey's, this is where one might bring their fiance's parents because it was more of an event to go there. The entertainment meant you didn't have to spend the whole time talking to the people you were with and the service/food was first class. It also would have made a really good impression. 8. The Criterion Restaurant in Piccadilly Circus The Criterion Theatre is an underground theatre in Piccadilly Circus that seats 600 people - not underground as in secret, but actually physically underground. The facade on the street is just the restaurant and box office. Dining in the Criterion would have been an incredible experience. I imagine it full of rollicking affluent young Londoners. Baedeker talks about the paintings he saw there by "eminent artists," the mosaic on the ceiling in the Marble Hall, it had a number of rooms, including and "American restaurant," a lager-beer sloon and a smoking room.

(I imagined people smoking everywhere.) Going down the stairs to the theatre would have also been an adventure, especially with the number of opiates available in the 1890s. Throughout the era, the whole place was managed by Felix William Spiers, who served the same menu in his extensive railway refreshment rooms. A meal that you might eat on a train, like a meal you might eat on a plane, doesn't sound very appetizing today, but first class dining rooms on trains in the 1890s were quite another story! Train passengers performed their class identities by spending more to have access to these cars. 7. Simpson's-in-the-Strand Fancy some fish and a game of chess? Simpson's-in-the-Strand started out as a smoking room in 1828, then it quickly turned into a coffee house. By mid-century, it was known for serving traditional English food, especially roast meats and the classic fish & chips. Writers enjoyed dining there straight through the twentieth century. P.G. Wodehouse called it "a restful temple of food." Simpson's is also located near Fleet Street, where all the journalists worked . Baedeker enjoyed fish & chips there.

In the 1890s, our writers probably also enjoyed a game of chess there. Chess was a feature of Simpson's-in-the-Strand's early days as a coffee house, where well-educated gentlemen would rest, read the papers, discuss politics and play a game of chess in and on the establishments ample chairs and divans. Until it was bought by the Savoy Group at the end of the decade, it was also home to the largest mahogany table in existence. This is the kind of place that I imagine journalists going in the morning or at lunch, but in a laid-back men's club sort of way. Unless specified, we can presume that most restaurants did not accommodate women dining alone. In some cases, women may have been barred entirely. Consequently, I would only have gone to Simpson's-in-the-Strand, if I were of that class of well-educated Victorian gentleman. 6. Holborn Restaurant The Holborn Restaurant was part of the casino and had a ladies' dining room.

Baedeker called Holborn "an extensive and elaborately adorned establishment with grill-room, luncheon-buffets [...] in the Grand Salon from 6 to 9 p.m., with music [...] 'grilled dinner' in the 'Ladies' Grill Room'" When Baedeker talks about "grilled dinners," he means steak. Who doesn't want to eat steak in a London casino in the 1890s? It left a lasting impression on, British novelist and dramatist, Edmund Yates, who wrote: The Holborn Casino was a much quieter place of resort than its rival, and was frequented by a different class: there was some element of respectability among its female visitors, while among the men the genus "swell," which predominated at the other place, was here almost entirely absent, the ordinary attendants being young fellows from the neighbouring Inns of Court, medical students, Government clerks, with a sprinkling of the shopocracy. Contrary to what I initially suspected, "shopocracy" doesn't actually refer to government by the retail industry. It's actually just an adjective for a group of shopkeepers. Enabling women to shop was the main mission of these eateries.

However, as you can see in the passage from Yates, a woman dining out was still a controversial thing, by the fact that "there was some element of respectability among its female visitors," which implies in other establishments the women weren't respectable. People often assumed an unaccompanied woman in a restaurant was a prostitute, which is why ladies' dining rooms really got their start in department stores. Dining rooms for women shoppers gave them some respectability and allowed them to shop longer. In this busy shopping area, there was another ladies' dining room across the street, which also served steaks. Cheaper and probably not as good! 6. Dorothy Restaurant Restaurants for women were a natural progression of the increasing independence of middle-class women. In the later part of the nineteenth century, many women would take the train into the city to go shopping. While a woman couldn't dine alone, public washrooms were inaccessible to women. Putting tea rooms in shops enabled women to stay in the city and shop all day. Dorothy Restaurant enabled women to just hang out with other women and do things they couldn't do anywhere else to relax, like smoking and drinking.

Strongly linked to the "New Woman," Dorothy Restaurant was very cutting edge, but only stayed open for six years 1889-1895. 4. Pagani's Artists and musicians in the 1890s loved Pagani's restaurant with its art nouveau frontage near Queen's Hall on Langham Place. It first opened in 1871 and its famous Artist Room's walls were decorated with more than 5,000 notes and signatures of its famous patrons, including Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Giacomo Puccini, Cécile Chaminade, Emma Calvé, Plançon, Nellie Melba, Mortimer Menpes, Paolo Tosti, Sarah Bernhardt, James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Baedeker advised visitors in the 1890s that the Artist Room was reserved for "private parties," so if you are throwing a private party in the 1890s - this is where I recommend you do it. In the 1890s, Oscar Wilde once dined on calf's brains and lark-and-steak pie in the Artist's Room with Lillie Langtry and the Prince of Wales.

The history of London Hotels Route Planners UK Currency London Journey Times International Dial Codes Dialling UK Numbers UK Counties Bank Holidays Information Snippets It wasn't until the 19th century that London began to see a rise in the traditional type of hotels we know of these days. Even then they tended to be much smaller in size than their counter parts across the Atlantic in America. Historically lodging in London was the preserve of guests houses (or lodging houses as they were known) and coaching inns. There wasn't a tourist industry as we see today and the rich would tend to rent accommodation rather than stay in a hotel. Coaching Inns provided two facilities for mail and stage coaches. Firstly they allowed teams of horses to be changed for fresh ones and they also served the stage coach passengers with a place to sleep and eat. Until the railway network became widespread after the 1830's stage coaches were the main form of mass transportation for the public. Today just a single example of the old coaching inns remains, the George Inn on Borough High Street in Southwark. Some statistical background came be drawn from an issue of the Penny Magazine, a weekly London newspaper of its day.

The April 8th edition of 1837 gives the following information: In 1837 there was 396 inns, hotels and taverns in total (but not including pubs that allowed overnight accommodation for their customers). Private guest houses numbered 34. Hotels that were deemed to be of a high standard were called 'Palace Inns' numbered around 30. They were all located around the area we know of today as the West End. (bear in mind that at this time London was very much smaller than the area we know of today which covers the inner areas of the M25 motorway). Examples that existed at that time were: Mivarts at 48 Davies Street (to become part of Claridge's in 1894) Warrens Hotel on Waterloo Place (Lower Regent Street) Fenton's in St James's Street Limmer's on the corner of George Street W1 and Conduit Street Clarendon Hotel on New Bond Street Clarendon Hotel on Albemarle Street The Burlington on Old Burlington Street Wrights Hotel on Dover Street It was the Commercial Inns that could be found scattered across London.

In 2000 it was reported that London had some 1170 hotels and bed and breakfast accommodations known to the English Tourism Council / London Tourist Board. The modern rise in hotel numbers began between the two world wars. The accommodation sector started to grow in the mid eighteenth century as the railways grew and passenger numbers soared bringing more and more visitors to London. Around the same time London became more and more expensive to live in and it became the norm to stay in hotels rather than second homes. In modern times between 1970 and 1985 the number of visitors to London increased by 50% leading to a new boost in hotel numbers. During the late 80's and through the 90's redundant office blocks were becoming common in London and led to hotel chains transforming them into Hotels. Examples include One Aldwych and St Martins Lane Hotel . By the turn of 20th century to the Millennium hotel numbers were also being driven by a surge in the conference market of which London is now a major world player.

During 1980 and 2000 by far the biggest increase in Bedroom Numbers has been in the City of London with a staggering rise of 1700%. Although the first budget targeted hotels appeared in the mid 1980's it wasn't until around 2000 that this type of accommodation really started to grow substantially. Then with the announcement that London as to host the 2012 Olympics came an explosion in the number of budget oriented hotels and dedicated budget chains. These are the Inn or Lodge type hotels and the market is dominated by Premier Inn , Holiday Inn Express , Ibis and Travelodge . Modern History: 2016: Huge increase in hotel openings with 7000 rooms added compared to 3,500 for 2015. Luxury hotel market takes a big hit with lowest occupancy levels since 2009. Biggest growth is budget hotels in outer London areas as opposed to the more traditional central areas. October saw the biggest drop in the average daily rate since 2001 falling by 7.7% year on year to £149.92.

2015: February 2015, London is the most expensive city in Europe for room rates according to hotel provider HRS. Despite this because of ever rising rental costs in London its become cheaper to stay in a top hotel than to rent a studio flat. 2015 saw the first real rise asa significant player in the accommodation sector of airbnb, the online website for private rooms. Transaction volumes for hotel sales in the London hotel market was £3.6 billion pounds. This figure includes the £1.37 billion sale of a share in the Maybourne portfolio of The Claridge's , The Berkeley and The Connaught . 2014: This was the year that saw the rise in hotel aps. The ability to check in and out, order services or even adjust bedroom lighting all from your iphone or android phone is a rising trend throughout London hotels. Londons highest hotel, hotel restaurant and hotel bar open at The Shard . Montcalm Marble Arch becomes the first hotel to use Google Glass as part of its customer service. In October The Amba Charing Cross installed Europes fastest WiFi at 7800 mps download.

Transaction volumes for hotel sales in the London hotel market was £1.8 billion pounds. 2013: The Kensington Hotel opens the largest suite ever available within a London hotel. 2013: The year continued the large increase in budget hotels with the main battleground being fought between Premier Inn and Travelodge . Premier Inn remains by far the more popular of the two brands. 2012: This was a massive year for London hotels with the London Olympics having been staged in London. This was motivation for a huge spike in new hotel builds. A one bedroom hotel opened on the top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre. Called "A Room For London" it was open for just one year. The year also sees the increasing rise in Cigar rooms or 'Coasas'. To work around the UK ban on smoking in public and enclosed areas hotels have been designing luxury outdoor areas for smokers. To stay within the law these areas must be at least 50% open. IHG is the first UK hotel group to adopt the independently set London Living Minimum Hourly wage in May 2012.

Read About More Years 2011: The Four Seasons Hotel at Heron Plaza becomes the first purpose built 5 star hotel in central London for 30 years. Travelodge becomes London's largest hotel chain in terms of rooms numbers with the opening of the Travelodge Ealing in April. This gave them 5714 bedrooms overtaking the 5690 rooms of Hilton . 2010: With its 1021 bedrooms the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge becomes the largest hotel ever built in London when launched on 4th February 2010. London became home to the smallest pop-up hotel in the world on March 16 2010 when a converted Airstream caravan was located at Alexandra Palace as part of a promotional campaign for London. The hotel measured 29 feet by 7 feet and was complete with dedicated concierge, check in desk, room service, a flat screen TV, dining room area, double bed and en-suite facilities. The mobile hotel is to be used at various London locations. REVPAR for the year for London Hotels increases by 11.9% to £112.

Mint Hotel Tower of London becomes the largest hotel ever built in the City of London (financial area) with 583 rooms. 2009: The global credit crunch finally takes its toll on London hotels with big drops in occupancy, profitability and revenue per room. However London actually withstood the recession far better than the rest of the UK and the second half of the year was quite strong for room occupancy in London. Premier Inn became the first UK chain to total over 40,000 rooms. London hotels were the specific target of campaign group 'London Citizens' to pay workers a 'living wage'. They said there was a culture of low pay within the industry. Luxury hotels in particularly dropped their rates substantially to retain guests though ongoing revpar continued to fall. The year also saw some hefty price battles and reductions in the budget sector most notably between Premier Inn and Travelodge. 2008: The Travelodge chain brought a new method of hotel construction to the market. By importing pre-constructed rooms from China, each one within what looks like a shipping container, and then slotting and stacking them together, they are able to save around 20% in construction costs.

Even better is that they can be taken down as easily as they are put together and reused elsewhere. This method was first used for the Travelodge Uxbridge Central ; which opened in August 2008. More widespread was the the first use of pods, either rooms and/or bathrooms which can be either slotted into a new build hotel or taken apart and reconstructed inside a renovation project. The year also saw the continuation in the boom for budget chain hotels in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics . Research found occupancy drooped by 2.5% for the year to 73.9% 2007: Yotel pod/capsule hotel opens at Gatwick airport in July 2007. On July 1st a smoking ban came into force throughout the UK. The ban was pre-empted by many new built hotels such as the Hilton Canary Wharf and Hilton Tower Bridge who were no-smoking from their opening in the preceding months. Many other hotels and chains went on to introduce total no-smoking policies after the ban. A much discussed subject was the cost of internet access in hotels. Widely considered to be excessive many hotels actually started providing this facility for free.

Chains such as the Radisson led the way with this policy in all their hotels. The rise and expansion of branded hotels ( chains ) has grown to such an extent (70% of rooms in London) that a survey showed 50% of canvassed independent hotel owners said they were now in direct competition with a branded hotel and overall 25% said they were losing bookings to the large chains. There was a large number of hotel name changes as the St Pancras International Eurostar opened and hotels that had Kings Cross or Euston in their name added St Pancras to the full name. 2006: A good year for hotels in London with growth in the revenue per room and good occupancy levels. Changes in marketing also environmentally policies becoming an important part of selling a hotel. Marriott became the first chain to have all their hotels given the Green Globe certification for sustainable travel and tourism. Hilton also make play of reducing wastage with polices such as giving the guest the choice of having towels washed every other day to save water. Travelodge shook up the Christmas season by cutting rates across its hotels. This bucks the years old trend to increase rates as demand goes up.

Japanese capsule style accommodation hits London from the likes of easyhotel.com . 2004: First buy-to-let hotel rooms. Popular in the USA but coming toi the UK and London for the first time. Client buys a lease in a hotel room and receives normally 50% of take on that room and leaseholder gets free nights staying in the room for themselves. Historic Hotels: Station Hotels: As the railways grew in the mid eighteenth century so entrepreneurs realised building hotels near stations could be very profitable. It was also a prestige symbol for some railway companies to have plush modern large hotels at their stations. Examples of hotels ate the main London stations are: Kings Cross Station: The Great Northern Hotel : This is the oldest purpose hotel in London, built solely for that use and opened on 17th May 1854 and was designed by Lewis Cubitt. Also notable as housing the first room in Europe that allowed women to smoke in, the Ladies Smoking Room. The hotel was demolished to make way for the channel tunnel link improvements but the facade was restored. The hotel closed its door for the last time in February 2001 before the major Kings Cross/St Pancras Station improvements began.

This hotel was then restored during 2007/2010 and is now the Renaissance St Pancras . Paddington Station: The Great Western Hotel : The hotel opened on the 8th June 1854, the same year that Paddington Station, to which the hotel adjoins, was opened. It was opened by Albert the Price Consort and was most notable as being the UK's first Railway hotel. Construction on the hotel began in 1851 and was the project of its architect Philip Charles Hardwick. It underwent major remodelling in 1936 and 1938 as well as during its re-branding into the Hilton Paddington in 2002. Victoria Station: Grosvenor Hotel : The hotel first opened in 1861, designed by J. T. Knowles in an Italianate style with a French Renaissance roof. In 1899 it was purchased by LBSCR (London, Brighton and South Coast Railway). They in turn leased the hotel to Gordon Hotels and opened again on 10th December 1900.

In 1907 an extension was built which provided a new facade for Victoria station which was below the hotel. In 1977 British Transport Hotels took control of the hotel before selling it Thistle Hotels in 1983. Eventually the name 'Grosvenor' was removed totally from the branding. The hotel will always have a place in the history of London hotels as the first hotel to feature lifts, or 'ascending rooms' as they were called at the time. They were powered by using the City's water pressure. Charing Cross Station: Charing Cross Hotel : The hotel opened on the 15th May 1865, a year after the station itself opened. The hotel was designed by Edward Middleton Barry. Most notable was the magnificent facade in a French Renaissance style. The hotel and station are built on the site of the Victorian Hungerford Market. In 1878 the hotel was further extended and then again in 1952 two more top floors were added. In front of the hotel is a 70 foot replica of the original Eleanor Cross which stood here in 1291. The cross was commissioned by the hotel and erected in 1865.

St Pancras Station: The Midland Grand Hotel. Built in 1868 and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the hotel was a striking red gothic structure at the entrance to St Pancras Station. The hotel closed many years ago in 1935 after being unable to make a profit and became used as railway offices. The hotel has not been used at all since early 1980's. Planned to be demolished in the 60's but strong support for the building led to it being classed as a grade 1 listed building. It became known as the St Pancras Chambers during its time in obsolescence. Re-opening in 2009/10 as the Renaissance St Pancras Hotel London . Liverpool Street Station: Andaz Liverpool Street (originally the Great Eastern Hotel till November 2007): The hotel opened in 1884 and was later extended in 1901. Originally designed by Charles Barry and his son, Charles Edward Barry while the 1901 extension was the work of Colonel Robert Edis.

During its earlier years the hotel had its own dedicated railway tracks and sidings connecting to the adjacent Liverpool Street Station which it used for supplied to the hotel. In 1997 it was closed for 3 years while undergoing a seventy million pound renovation and opened once again on 28th February 2000. Marylebone Station: Great Central Hotel : First opened in 1899 and was designed by Robert William Edis. The hotel was constructed in its location opposite Marylebone Station to service this mainline railway station which at that time was hoped to be part of a channel tunnel link, however that proved to be wishful thinking. During the mid 19th century the building ceased to be a hotel. During the second world war it was used as a convalescent home and later on as the headquarters of the British Railways Board. Finally in 1993 after being bought by a Japanese corporation it reopened as a luxury hotel and was called 'The Regent Hotel. Two years later it was again purchased by a new company called the Landmark Hotel Company Limited, and the name changed once again to reflect its new ownership, now being the Landmark Hotel.

Trivia London has the peculiar position of having major hotels share the same building. The Ibis and Novotel both share a building in ExCel and another in Blackfriars . Park Plaza has two different hotels, The Riverbank and the Park Plaza sharing a building on the Albert Embankment . Rafayel Hotel shares a building with Falcon Wharf Apartments . The Langham Hotel is said to be the most haunted hotel in London with several reported sightings and strange events. Notable Blakes Hotel : Said to have been the first accepted official boutique hotel in the world (1978) The Capital Hotel : Claims to being the first boutique style hotel in London (1971). Note this clashes with the claim of the Blakes Hotel which is said to be the first OFFICIAL boutique hotel. The Carlton Hotel: Use to stand where New Zealand House is now located (80 Haymarket SW1). Opened in 1899 it was destroyed by a German bomb during the London blitz of 1940 and finally demolished during 1957-58 and rebuilt in 1959. It was a favourite place to dine for Winston Churchill who was eating here when war was declared in 1914.

Cecil Hotel: Used to stand where Shell Mex House is now located (80 Strand WC2), actually between the Strand and the Embankment. When this hotel 5 star Grand hotel opened in 1896 after 6 years construction it was the largest hotel in Europe with 600 bedrooms (some sources claim 800) over 9 floors. Designed by architects Perry & Reed and said to have a "Wrenaissance" style, after Sir Christopher Wren and decorated by Maples, Waring (later to become Waring and Gillow). A section of the hotel was used as the original RAF headquarters in 1918. Demolished in 1930. The Strand facing facade of the hotel still exists and an archway was created in its centre to lead to Shell Mex House. Doubletree by Hilton Docklands : Only London hotel with its own Thameside Pier. Goring Hotel : First hotel in the world to have every bedroom en-suite The Halcyon Hotel: (81 Holland Park, W11 3RZ) First built in 1850 it began life as a hotel during the 20th century.

Became known as the original Brit Boutique Hotel during the 90's when it was a favoured hotel among celebrities. Closed in May 2004 and converted into luxury residential apartments in 2007. Hallmark Hotel Croydon : First purpose built UK airport hotel opened in 1928 and serving Croydon Airport (now shut). Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel Said to be the first of London's modern hotels. Royal National Hotel : London's largest hotel in terns of bedrooms with 1630 rooms. Victory Services Club: (63-79 Seymour Street) First opened in 1907 this is a 'services and all ranks' club hotel for military personnel (serving and retired). 220 rooms. The Ritz : First London hotel to have all guest rooms with a bathroom each. Interesting Samarkand Hotel: 22 Lansdowne Crescent. Music legend Jimi Hendrix died from a drugs overdose taken in room 507 on September 18th 1970. It is a matter of dispute as to whether he died in the hotel or on route to hospital in the ambulance.

He was staying in a 5th floor £17 pound a night suite with his German girlfriend. Cart and Horses : Iron Maidens first ever gig London Oldest Hotels: Existing Hotels Dating Back to the 17th and 18th centuries. >>> Landmark Hotel 1899 Ratings : There is no statutory scheme of rating hotels. In recent years the majority of hotels with an independent star rating have been rated by either the AA, RAC or the English Tourist Board. The RAC stopped ratings in 2005. Only in 1998 did the English Tourist Board (Visit Britain) change their criteria to match that of the AA and provide a consistent basis for ratings. However that was only for English Hotels, Wales and Scotland brought their criteria into line in 2000. The AA is taken as being the most authoritative body but it must be remembered that this is by general consensus and not by any official power or scheme bestowed upon them. The AA was the first body to give hotel ratings having started in 1912. These bodies rate only premises that have joined their scheme (and paid for the privilege of doing so) and many properties choose to be self rated.

There are also two different types of accommodation given classifications, hotels and guests houses. Before 2007 guest houses were given diamond ratings, diamond ratings having a lower requirement in terms of facilities but a higher emphasis on service. However since 2007 all types of accommodation are given a star rating but based on the type of establishment the property is. In 2007 34% of London Hotels were signed up to an independent rating scheme. The average for the UK was 53%. The difference may be explained by the larger number of major chain hotels within London that use in-house ratings. £1,000,000 Bill 1993: The Qatrai Royal family were presented with a one million bill for their stay at the Grosvenor House Hotel . The first £1,000,000 bill in London. Afternoon Tea Many London Hotels continue the long tradition of Afternoon tea which dates back to the early 1800's and was believed to have been brought about by Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857).

At that point in time it was the normal to have just two meals a day, breakfast and then a larger evening dinner. Afternoon tea with cakes and sandwiches filled the gap and was taken around 4 or 5 o'clock. It is indeed strange to think nobody else had, up to that point, the idea of a light afternoon meal. Today Afternoon tea is associated with the traditional style 4 and 5 star hotels such as the Ritz where its a ritual visitors to the capital book weeks ahead to enjoy. It is the Langham Hotel that is said to have been the first hotel to bring in the ritual of Afternoon Tea around the late 1860's. First Hotel Dog In March 2015 London got its first official hotel dog. The Staybridge Suites Vauxhall became the home for a three month old Labradoodle (cross between a Labrador and a Poodle). Named Waggers the god has the job of welcoming guests. Virtual Reality Marriott Park Lane becomes first London hotel to use virtual reality headsets for rooms service in September 2015. Internet The Royal Garden Hotel was the first hotel to have broadband internet access available in all bedrooms.

Soap recycling The Marriott Heathrow was the first hotel in Europe to recycle its soap in November 2015. Largest Largest hotel in London in terms of room numbers is The Royal National Hotel with 1630 bedrooms. First dessert Restaurant The Hotel Café Royal opens Londons first ever dessert restaurant in March 2016. First Free Smarthphone In March 2016 the Montcalm London Marble Arch became the UK's first hotel to provide guests with a free smartphone for the duration of their stay. First Digital Wine List The Marriott County Hall became the first hotel in the UK to boast a digital iPad based wine list in October 2013. Largest Swimming Pool The Marriott County Hall has the largest hotel swimming pool in London as 25 metres or 82 feet. History of Claridges Hotel - 5 Star Luxury Hotel in Mayfair London Newsletter Sign Up The history of Claridge's It started life as a single house, but Claridge’s was soon transformed into an art deco masterpiece favoured by royalty and the most distinguished figures of every generation.

1800 - 1900 1800s Small beginnings William and Marianne Claridge are running a hotel in a single house at 51 Brook Street. In an ambitious move to expand their business, they buy the adjoining five buildings in 1854. Claridge’s opens in its own right in 1856. 1860 Royal visits As Claridge's reputation grows, it is visited by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The hotel soon becomes a favourite of heads of state and royalty throughout Europe. 1898 Grand reopening Bought in 1893 by Richard D'Oyly Carte, owner of the Savoy, the hotel is promptly closed to allow a significant re-design led by CW Stephens – the man responsible for Harrods – and the hotel re-opens in 1898. 1920 - 1940 1920s Flapper's delight In the vibrant years after the end of the First World War, flappers, bobs and the bright young things of London make Claridge's their place to party and the ballroom echoes to the songs of Gershwin, the sounds of jazz and the steps of the Charleston.

1929 Decorative transformation Eighty new rooms and a stunning ballroom are added. Oswald Milne, a pioneer of the art deco movement, transforms the lobby. Much of the decoration, including work by Basil Ionides and a beautiful Lalique door panel, remains to this day. 1940s Refuge for kings Claridge's reputation as a haven for dignitaries is enhanced when many exiled heads of state use it as a refuge during the Second World War. The Kings of Greece, Norway and Yugoslavia remain there for the duration. 1945 - 1970 1945 Prince's birthplace At the request of Winston Churchill, suite 212 is declared Yugoslavian territory so that Crown Prince Alexander II could be born on his own country's soil. Churchill stays at Claridge's following his election defeat. 1950s Hollywood home from home Along with leaders in fashion and finance, Hollywood stars adopt Claridge's as their London residence. Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Yul Brynner and Bing Crosby are all guests. Spencer Tracy says he'd rather go to Claridge's than to heaven when he dies.

1970s Designer coup Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg begins her long relationship with Claridge's, resulting in her first interiors work being commissioned by the hotel. Her fellow guests include Aristotle and Jackie Onassis, and The Queen Mother, whose favourite table in the restaurant is always dressed with sweet peas. 1990 - 2012 1990s Loving restoration In 1996, Claridge’s enjoys a restoration led by designer Thierry Despont. He creates Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, The Foyer, The Reading Room and The Fumoir. In 1999, designer David Collins transforms the Causerie into Claridge’s Bar, with a brief to slip quietly into the new millennium while keeping a firm hold on the last one. 2000 The It-hotel Claridge’s is adopted by a new generation of models, designers, musicians and artists. Kate Moss celebrates her 30th birthday here. Jade Jagger and Lulu Guinness describe the hotel as their ultimate treat and Alex James says Claridge’s is just “perfect”. Diane von Furstenberg launches the 20 rooms and suites she transformed in her first interiors project.

2012 Fashion leader David Linley, a long-time friend of Claridge’s, completes his work on the 25 Linley Suites. There will be more evidence of his eye for detail and contemporary touches with the launch of the new business centre. David Downton continues as Claridge's first fashion artist-in-residence. 2013 - 2014

Question: What did Baedeker describe, in 1860, as the finest hotel in London?
Answer: Claridges